-
16
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such matters are very adequately recorded, and has made her own contribution, especially in social ethics. It is reasonable to assume that comparative studies could very fruitfully be pursued. Very close contact would be necessary with the Departments of English, History and Philosophy wherein the staff at the beginning will have a majority of British members, and with the Departmen of Chinese which would be staffed mainly by Chinese. The Department of Social Sciences might aim at an early distribution of posts equally between Chinese and British holders. This should not be too difficult of attainment because this is a field in which Chinese have long been interested, and in which many have had Western training.
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY.
In
38. In one sense. the Department of History will be ancillary to those of English and Chinese Languages and Literatures and of Social Sciences. another it will have a special task of its own. Here again we should like to emphasize the importance of maintaining standards of work and training comparable to those characteristic of Honours Schools in this country. The primary object of undergraduate courses must be to train students in the discip- line appropriate to historical study. If this is not successfully undertaken the further tasks of the Department will be impossible. In the selection of branches of History to which special attention is paid it would be appropriate, and indeed highly desirable, to have regard to the geographical setting of the University. Thus it is suggested that the Professor should be concerned with Far Eastern History. Among the other members of the Department there should be one or more whose special concern is in the History of Britain and the British Commonwealth.
DEPARTMENTS OF PHILOSOPHY, GEOGRAPHY AND MATHEMATICS.
39. In the Department of Philosophy, in addition to the philosophy of Europe, Hindu and Buddhist thought would be studied with special reference to their influence in China. Geography would obviously be specialised to some extent along similar regional lines. It is thought that the well-known aptitude of many Chinese students in Mathematics might lead to the early development of an Honours School. In addition this Department would teach the basic mathematics required for statistical applications. The Department would have an important part in the teaching of students in the Faculties of Science and Engineering.
POST-GRADUATE DEPARTMENTS.
40. In recommending the establishment of two specifically post-graduate Departments we are not suggesting that post-graduate Courses should be limited to those provided by them. We have indeed already indicated some of the lines upon which we think that post-graduate work would be particularly desirable. The two specifically post-graduate Departments to which we wish to refer are those of Education and Social Studies.
41. The Department of Education for the time being can, perhaps, best be organised within the Faculty of Arts. Its function would be to train graduates of the University for work in Hong Kong schools, and also graduates of Chinese Universities for work in secondary schools in China. It has been brought to our notice that the Chinese Ministry of Education is concerned that English should be well taught in the schools in its charge. It is a reasonable hope that Chinese graduates would not only be trained in English phonetics and in a modern approach to language teaching, but would gain that appre- ciation of English ideas and habits of thought that would give vitality to their
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teaching. It would be for the Senate to consider whether the normal one year course for a Diploma ought not to be lengthened to two years for graduates who desire to widen their knowledge of English literature and thought.
42. The training for other school subjects will of necessity depend for its Peffectiveness upon the aid and stimulus that will come from such members of the Departments in the Faculties of Arts and Science as have an alert interest in teaching method in their own subjects.
43. The other post-graduate Department proposed is one in Social Studies. Hong Kong graduates in Social Science would be admirably prepared for this, but it should not be confined to them. The groups of studies proposed include practical field studies and research in Government and Administration, and in contemporary social and economic conditions with special reference to China and Hong Kong. The staff would be that of the Department of Social Sciences in the first instance.
GENERAL.
44. It is important that all these studies, but especially those in the Social Sciences, should be pursued with complete objectivity and that there should be no attempt at political control of the expression of opinion by the staff in their lectures and writings. If that is impossible, it would be better to have no Social Studies and, indeed, no University.
45. The staff that we would suggest as the minimum capable of carrying out this scheme in the Faculty, keeping in mind the obligation of University teachers to undertake research is stated summarily below:
English Chinese Mathematics History Social Studies Philosophy Geography
French Education
Professors
Readers Lecturers
Junior Lecturers
Tutors
I
I
I
I
| | - | -
2
I
I
2
2
I
4
I
2
lecturer in
4
3
2
(one a
Geology)
3
2
4
7
4
18
9
17
I
FACULTY OF SCIENCE.
46. Any university must undertake to teach Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology. All of these subjects must be pursued at a level at which original contributions to learning can be made. Staff, therefore, must be adequate not only to carry out routine teaching but to do research and must be of quality good enough to undertake the supervision of the work of research students. We propose the continuance of separate Departments for Physics and Chemistry, with a staff that we consider to be the minimum with which work of the right quality can be done. For Botany and Zoology we propose a combined Department with Botany subordinate to Zoology. The pre- dominance of Zoology in such a Department is necessary if the Department is to cooperate satisfactorily with the Fisheries Research Institute in developing
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